


New heroes

by snowyjeno



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Heavy Angst, M/M, doyoung is mentioned - Freeform, i couldn't come up with a better title sorry, jeno is a criminal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 05:14:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16654900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowyjeno/pseuds/snowyjeno
Summary: Jaemin's eyes softened as he said, “Maybe we would've been on the same side in another life.”





	New heroes

**Author's Note:**

> please bear in mind this is unlike any of my previous fics and is my "heaviest" fic yet

_“You could just join me,” Jeno said, his expression seemingly blank, but Jaemin knew there was a lot more to the other than he let meet the eye._

_“Brilliant idea! Maybe you've forgotten because you are the Lee Jeno,” Jaemin began elaborating, putting an emphasis on the 'the’, “but not everyone gets a kick out of being on Seoul's most wanted criminals list.”_

_Jeno's visage remained blank as he broke away from Jaemin's gaze, focusing instead on the plate in front of him. He cut a bite out of a slice of some cake using his fork, bringing the fork to his mouth._

_Jaemin knew Jeno's silence correlated with his mind thinking, questioning, stressing. Jaemin never expected Jeno to open up to him, and that was only reasonable. Jaemin was a hero, a savior. Jeno was a villain, a threat. They were enemies, but Jaemin didn't want them to be._

_Jaemin's eyes softened as he said, “Maybe we would've been on the same side in another life.”_

_“And what fun would that have been?” Jeno asked, chuckling lightly._

_“You literally just asked me to join you and now you're sending the opposite message.”_

_In many ways, Jeno reminded Jaemin of comedy and tragedy masks, or what some would call happy and sad face masks. He'd sometimes brag about his speed and how Jaemin's units “ate his dust” and needed to reevaluate their methods to bring about his downfall._

_“I'm doing you a favor by telling you your units need a new strategy,” Jeno had said._

_“Yeah, because I'm really gonna tell them that,” Jaemin had responded, rolling his eyes. He had glared at Jeno with an agitated look throughout most of their conversation after that._

_Jaemin supposed Jeno was happy in other ways, too. Ways in which only he knew about. That's what Jaemin hoped, anyways._

_Jaemin himself was happy and proud of his powers, but he realized further happiness out of the good his powers brought to the world. He was satisfied when he could patch up allies and when he could use his super strength to combat some of the most feared foes he'd ever faced. He swore his powers were tailored to fit his desires without so much as a hitch._

_If Jaemin had to label his life, he'd call it 'balanced.’ He had seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. His heavy career would continue to subject him to the three, and a lot of the time, no amount of preparation could really stabilize him when it came to some of the things he had seen and heard. He was beginning to grow numb as a coping mechanism, and he had known the work he'd be doing wasn't fit for the faint of heart._

_Jaemin never wanted to grow overly numb. He still wanted to feel. He wanted to feel forever, he could never give that up. He just didn’t want to have to digest everything that was thrown at him as though he had no choice but to accept it. If he ever grew insensitive and careless, he had already decided that it would be time to give it up. His life as a hero would come to a commendable end. For now, he was completely invested in helping as many people as he could, and trying to bring about a more harmonious melody into the world._

_From an outsider’s perspective, Jeno probably seemed like a deadly venom that had miserable intentions, prone to strike at any time and prone to inflict as much pain and suffering as it saw fit. That wasn’t the entire truth, though. Not even half of it. The media twisted his image and labelled him as a ‘killer’ on multiple occasions. The government even affiliated him with the mafia, painting him as the perfectly imperfect antagonist. It was easy to shift the blame for unsolved cases and tragedies onto criminals that were already a part of the most wanted criminals list. No one would bat their eye at horrific convictions only piling up on the plates of criminals. Afterall, any business with a criminal is messy from the start._

_Jaemin had learned of the most valuable piece of intel when it came to Jeno when he was first assigned to the unit responsible for detaining him. It was just a trivial piece of information from his unit’s perspective, but Jaemin wasn’t that naive._

_Jeno was lonely. He could never stay in one place for too long, as he’d get caught and surely murdered if he did. His family wasn’t in the picture and his relationship status was unknown, but it was obvious that even if he had a significant other, he never got to see them. Constantly on the run and constantly finding himself in situations that put his life on the line, Jeno didn’t have time for romance nor other types of relationships. Relationships usually required some level of trust, and he’d be a damned fool if he trusted anyone what with his name in the mud._

_“Eat the cake. You’ll need the energy to save me soon enough,” Jeno announced, staring into Jaemin’s eyes as though looking for even the subtlest change in his expression, or even the slightest twitch of a muscle._

_“What are you gonna do when I’m not there to save you one day?”_

_Jeno just laughed emptily, as though the difference between life and death meant nothing to him._

_“Guess that’ll be the day I die.”_

_Jaemin felt a shiver crawl up his spine._

____

_Two months later_

Panting, Jeno collapsed on the grass, the breath knocking out of him as his knees finally gave way. He immediately shut his eyes in an attempt to reduce the tension he felt in them. He had utilized his super speed to the extent his injured body would let him and he had gotten far. The team that had engaged him today gave him a run for his money, as he was certain he was going to bleed to death. Blood was steadily dripping from a deep cut on his cheek, and blood was slowly trailing out from one of the sides of his mouth. He had bruises all over his body, from his calves to just above his knees, from his hips to the lower and middle regions of his back, from his rib cage to his arms. He felt a searing pain in his head, and combined with the other pains he felt, he felt certain that this was it. His gig was over, it was game over.

Jeno abruptly slipped into unconsciousness, darkness wrapping around him.

As though he were Jeno’s knight in shining armor, Jaemin appeared, running at full speed to reach Jeno’s crumpled body. Gauging Jeno’s state as he caught his breath, Jaemin felt his stomach twist sickeningly. Jeno looked to be passed out, that’s _if_ he weren’t already dead.

Jaemin wasn’t sure whether or not it would work, but it was his only shot. He had only learned about the ability recently, and he hadn’t had the opportunity to test it out. Doyoung had emphasized that the magic was only to be used in dire situations. A life or death situation was absolutely dire, and without a second thought, Jaemin brought his lips to Jeno’s.

After pulling back, he felt despair rising in his chest and mind. Jeno was still laying completely still, body still ruined by wounds and face still lifeless. 

_“Don’t forget this. If you don’t believe that you can save a person, your power won’t manifest. Even if it seems impossible to restore someone, keep believing. You have to believe that you can do it, otherwise you’re better off not trying at all.”_

Doyoung’s words came back to Jaemin like a storm, furious and bellowing.

‘I believe I can save Jeno,’ Jaemin chanted desperately in his head.

His eyebrows were furrowed and his expression was one of extreme worry. He pressed his lips against Jeno’s a second time, convincing himself that he _did_ believe that he could save him. 

When Jaemin moved his head and peered at Jeno, he felt a sinking feeling pool in his gut and his mind promptly enveloped dread.

‘This can’t be happening right now.’

Jaemin began shivering and shaking, his body unable to contain his torment. Tears began streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed uncontrollably.

“Wake up,” Jaemin choked out, his breathing constantly stuttering as his weeping wracked his entire body. 

He laid his head against Jeno's chest, his arms spread loosely on his chest and abdomen. Jaemin snapped out of his trance when he heard Jeno's heartbeat. It was very faint and much too slow, signalling a losing fight. 

Jaemin immediately picked his head up and told himself, 'I can and _will_ save Jeno, don't you fucking dare let him die on me,’ he wrathfully demanded of any higher, supernatural being that may exist. 

With his hands curled into angry fists and his body trembling from a mixture of fury and grief, Jaemin brought his lips to Jeno's for a third time. 

And that's when Jeno bloomed back to life. 

As soon as Jaemin saw Jeno open his eyes and take in his surroundings, he abruptly picked his head back up, wishing that Jeno would still have been out of it and not picked up on the fact that their lips had been connected only seconds before.

Jeno released a low, extended sigh, groaning immediately afterwards. He saw Jaemin looking at him cautiously, as though there were some sort of invisible barrier that wouldn't let him get any closer. His eyes trailed to Jaemin's lips, and that's when he noticed what looked like blood on them. 

“Had an appetite while practically reviving me this time, I see,” Jeno joked, somewhat bothered by the dubious look on Jaemin's face.

“Is that blood?” Jeno was looking directly at Jaemin's lips as he asked the question.

“Yeah…” Jaemin didn't sound convincing even to himself, so there was no way Jeno was buying the wavering “yeah.”

“What's got you so worked up? Shouldn't you be delighted you saved me from having tea with the grim reaper?”

“I'm more relieved than you'd ever believe.” Jaemin didn't bother adding a “trust me” anywhere in his statement, knowing trust was simply a taboo subject when it came to Jeno. 

Jaemin had an uneasy look on his face when the frantic words started spilling out of his mouth.

“You almost _died_ , Jeno. I really thought I lost you,” Jaemin whispered the second statement, as though he were afraid he could speak it into reality at any given second. He whispered it as though he had broken, and he knew that he had. Jeno was alive and breathing, he was even talking to him right now and listening to him make his usual foolish remarks. But nothing could heal the agony Jaemin had felt as he grew hopeless and desperate in front of the dying Jeno. 

Tears began silently forming in Jaemin's eyes again, and they started trickling down his cheeks freely. Jeno sat up, causing Jaemin to mumble out a shaky “you need to lie back down.”

“I'm already back to optimal levels thanks to you, doc.”

Jeno wanted to comfort Jaemin but he didn't know how to go about it. He didn't want to cause Jaemin any extra anguish in the process of trying to figure it out, either.

Jeno brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, closing his eyes afterwards. He began weighing his options and contemplating. 

Jeno knew Jaemin cared about him, and Jeno secretly cared about Jaemin too. Neither Jeno nor Jaemin were dense, and they both knew that their lives were constantly in extreme danger. 

Jeno's case was obvious. He was on Seoul's most wanted criminals list, and he had to be overly aware of most situations and places he'd find himself in. One wrong move, one wrong calculation, one wrong timing, and he'd be killed on sight without a second thought.

Jaemin's case was avoidable. He was actively working with the gangster Lee Jeno, and if he ever got caught in the act, he would certainly be added to the list of people that were of top priority to be murdered. He would wind up as the hero that had gone rogue and turned out to be a menacing villain just like any other. 

Jeno didn't care about the outcome of his life as much as he cared about Jaemin's. Had they never met, Jeno would've probably already been dead. Because they met, Jaemin kept seeking Jeno out to ensure that he could remedy his injuries and keep him alive. Jaemin chose to put his own life at risk for the sake of Jeno's.

Words never worked on Jaemin, but Jeno had made a finalizing decision that wouldn't involve words. He would see that Jaemin be disburdened from the duty that he had firmly set upon himself; the duty of being Jeno's savior.

Jeno would save Jaemin from saving him.

Jeno opened his eyes and glanced over at Jaemin, discontent that the latter was still crying. He scooted over to Jaemin until they were beside each other.

“Can you get up for a minute?”

Jaemin sniffled as he looked over at Jeno, smearing away his warm tears with the backs of his hands. His eyes were puffy and dull, and the small red spots just outside of his lips were proof that he had been biting at them.

“I d-don’t want to,” Jaemin let out, refusing to meet Jeno’s eyes. He was looking straight ahead blankly, his eyelids drooping over his eyes and obscuring his already bleary view.

“Please,” Jeno’s voice was just above a whisper, and Jaemin’s sixth sense told him something was wrong.

Very, very wrong.

“What do you mean, ‘please’?” Jaemin stood up, his heart rate accelerating automatically. He stared Jeno down as he also got up, turmoil scattering throughout his mind.

Jeno didn’t answer Jaemin, instead pulling him into an embrace. Jaemin’s mind couldn’t make sense of any of it, and his body involuntarily shook with the questions that were accumulating inside of him.

Jeno wasn’t acting like Jeno. He had never made any request of Jaemin. He had never initiated any form of physical contact with Jaemin. He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have. He didn’t want to give Jaemin another reason, another inkling of hope that his attachment towards him wasn’t all for nothing.

Jaemin’s arms were still hanging limp by his sides, his confusion and disbelief not allowing him to wrap his arms around Jeno.

“Jeno,” Jaemin unconsciously clenched his teeth as he said the name, “what’s going on?”

“Hug me back.”

‘Before it’s too late,’ Jeno grimly thought to himself.

Jaemin broke out of Jeno’s arms, his trembling hands turning into fists as he began pounding on Jeno’s chest.

“Answer my fucking question, Jeno! What’s going on?!” Jaemin felt his breathing become uneven, and tears were threatening to wash over his face anew.

“You’ll regret it if you don’t hold me now.” Jeno’s eyes held a silent request, and Jaemin hated it. He hated Jeno’s solo nature. He hated not being able to crack the code of Lee Jeno. He hated it most of all now, when it mattered the most.

“I’ll never forgive you if you do something drastic.” Jaemin’s voice was low and weak. It matched his mental state and spirit perfectly.

Jeno took a step forward and embraced Jaemin for a second time. This time, however, the hug was returned.

It felt incomparably _right_ to be wrapped within one another’s hold. Serenity would have washed over Jaemin if there hadn’t been chaos in his mind. Serenity _did_ wash over Jeno, as he was certain he had made the right choice. He only had to express his final gratitude towards Jaemin before he would erase the chains that tied Jaemin to him.

Jeno opened his eyes as he broke off from Jaemin. Silence occupied the space around them as they locked eyes, both pairs of eyes unwavering.

Jeno was the first to shatter the silence.

“Thank you for everything, Jaemin,” Jeno said, his voice gentle yet resolute.

He gave Jaemin the brightest smile he had ever seen. Jaemin gulped thickly, the sight before him new and foreign. He didn’t know what was about to happen, but something was _undoubtedly_ about to happen.

“I’ll never forgive you,” Jaemin brokenly whispered for the second and last time.

“Thank you for everything.”

Jeno knew he successfully casted his magic when the world instantly warped itself and became void of color. Jeno could only see in black, white, and gray. Jaemin was frozen in place, the miserable look on his face frozen as well.

Jeno thought that it was improbable for him to properly execute any more magic, but he had to try. Time was of the essence, which was quite ironic since Jeno was manipulating time. The world was paused, and the two minutes he had granted himself would be over within the blink of an eye.

Jeno closed his eyes, deeply concentrating on producing magic and assessing his mana reserves. He was dumbfounded when he found that his mana was still at its maximum levels, as though he hadn’t just cast extremely powerful magic. He didn’t have the time to ponder over what should have been impossible, and so he wasted not a second further in casting the forbidden magic.

____

_Three weeks ago_

The unit that had been assigned to Lee Jeno had practically been bouncing around the building, enthusiastically spreading the good news to everyone that showed up to work that day. Two members of the specialized unit burst through Jaemin’s door, causing Jaemin to promptly look up from the papers on his desk and instead give attention to the sudden disturbance.

“We took him out! Lee Jeno is no longer,” one of the guys spoke, voice laced with pride.

“What?” Jaemin was gaping. “Wait, really?”

“Yes, really!” the guy that hadn’t spoken yet confirmed.

“That’s great!” Jaemin approved, although his heart wrenched as he said the words. He didn’t understand why his emotions were the polar opposite of his words. 

He felt fortunate that the males left quickly, allowing him the solitude he needed to attempt to figure out why he felt devastated. He should have felt satisfied the same way everyone else in the building was. He eventually grew frustrated when he wasn’t able to come to a sound conclusion. He bitterly completed the rest of his tasks as he awaited the time he would be at home.

Later that night, Jaemin layed in bed wide awake and unable to sleep. His mind was in an unbearable frenzy, negative emotions flooding into his system without an apparent cause. Two emotions in particular were the most overwhelming. Jaemin was being sunk by a yearning and a deep, deep sorrow.

When the first tear slipped past the corner of his eye, he hadn’t noticed. His crying intensified instantly on its own accord, the waterworks steadily streaming down his face and neck in a messy manner. Not long into his sobbing, he realized something was missing. 

Something was missing in Jaemin’s life.

It seemed like whatever that _something_ was, would be unattainable not only now, but for all of eternity.

Jaemin couldn’t sleep that night.

____

_After halting time, Jeno rewinded his and Jaemin’s time. The magic he used in order to pull off the feat was forbidden and seen as cursed. He never really cared for rules and he wouldn’t start caring now, at the end. At his end._

_The magic allows its caster to rewind time over the course of his or her own life, as well as the life of one other that they've met in their life. There were infinite outcomes this magic could bring about. The caster could choose to go back in time and meet their chosen other a lot more sooner than they had, or vice versa. The caster could make it such that their paths never crossed and that their chosen other may never know of their existence. The caster could simply rewind time in order to restructure the pieces of his or her own life that fit together with their chosen other’s life._

_Jeno chose to go back in time to avert his life from ever intertwining with Jaemin’s._

____

Jaemin taught Jeno how to be a hero. Jaemin taught Jeno how to be fearless. Jaemin taught Jeno love.

Jaemin didn't teach Jeno how to be a fallen hero. Especially not _his_ secret, unknown and never to be discovered fallen hero.

Jeno sacrificed his life for the one that taught him endless sacrifice.

**Author's Note:**

> i am so sorry  
> just for a little more clarity, jaemin did not know about jeno's time manipulation powers  
> it popped into my mind towards the end of writing this but imagine a madoka magica spin-off au with jeno as homura and jaemin as madoka (╥﹏╥)


End file.
